


Places to Go....

by booklife



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/F, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booklife/pseuds/booklife
Summary: Gang Tardis are headed off on another adventure after the events of Resolution when they receive an unexpected phone call from someone from the Doctor's past.UNIT may be going through a financial shut down, but Kate Lethbridge-Stewart isn't going to let a little thing like government bureaucracy get in the way of saving the planet when it needs her, and spending some quality time with Doctor's new incarnation isn't exactly a downside, either.





	1. Setting Off

**Author's Note:**

> Picks up from the final lines of 11 ep11 Resolution. This first chapter is mostly fluff.

“When you say 'places to go,' where you thinking? Where to next?” Yaz gazes expectantly at the doctor, Graham and Ryan pushing in behind her.

“I was thinking,” an infectious grin spreads over the doctor’s face. “Everywhere.”

The TARDIS gang scrambles through the doors, ready for the next adventure. Yaz never gets tired of this part. The anticipation. 

“Shall we see where the universe takes us next?” The Doctor leans languidly against the central control panel and raises an eyebrow at them.

Glancing around at each other with excited grins, the gang nods.

“Go on, then, Doc,” Graham voices for them.

“Brilliant.” The doctor slams a down a lever as if to punctuate the sentiment. “What do you say, old girl?” She strokes the console with both hands. “Take us for another spin?”

Graham, Ryan, and Yaz scrabble for something solid to hang on to as the TARDIS hurtles through space and time. Yaz has almost gotten used to the way the TARDIS’s takeoffs and landings make her stomach jolt. Almost.

With a melodic wheeze, the TARDIS announces their arrival at their new destination.

“All right! Guesses all around.” The Doctor spins in place, coat swirling wide around her legs, making her look a bit like a whirling dervish, and glances at them each in turn with a mischievous glint. “What you think, eh? Past, present, or future? Earth? A rogue asteroid hurtling through space?” Her smile falters just a bit and she gets a faraway look in her eye. “Just hopefully not a bubble universe or anything,” she mumbles, “doesn’t feel like a bubble universe.” She strokes a wall of the TARDIS. “You’re still with me, aren’t you, you sexy thing?”

Yaz quirks and eyebrow at that. Did she just…?

“Future!” Ryan guesses, unphased by the Time Lord’s eccentric behavior and random mutterings. “We haven’t had near enough of that. And I want to see what cool technology and machinery we come up with, aside from that creepy-ass Kerblam! warehouse, that is.”

“What about you, Yaz?” The Doctor’s attention quickly returns to the present, and Yaz is the immediate recipient of her enthusiastic gaze. “Future? Past?”

“I think I’ve seen enough of the past to last me a while.” Yaz winces at memories of their last two trips into the past. During the first, her Nani’s life had been in danger, and in the second, the Doctor’s. There was no denying it. Earth’s past wasn’t the best place for women. And she’s had enough of women that she lo—women she cares—people in her life being in danger. “What about other planets, yeah? Feels like we’ve only seen the scary aliens and, you know, killer robots. Got to be some great ones out there, right?”

The Doctor’s left eyebrow shoots up. 

“Right,” Yaz stammers, shaking her head at her own stupidity. “I meant other good aliens. Course there are, obviously, because you’re one.” She bites down on her lip and shoots a glance toward Ryan for help. He has one arm propped on the other and is failing to hide a snicker behind the hand cradling his chin. Yaz’s glare shoots daggers at him, which just makes him laugh harder. 

“Well, nothing we can’t handle, right gang? What about you, Graham?” The Doctor whirls just in time to see Graham sidling toward the monitor on the TARDIS’s central control panel. 

“Oi! No peaking!” The Doctor slams a hand on a button and the monitor goes blank. “Never took you for a cheater, Graham.” The Doctor crosses her arms with a grumpy look that makes Graham break out into a laugh.

“Oh, you know me, Doc. Just gathering all of the available information. Trying to anyway.” Graham scratches at the crown of his head. “How you can make anything of all those circles and squiggles is beyond me.” He grins, but the Doctor’s expression is unrelenting.

“Sorry, sorry,” he placates. “Swear I didn’t see anything before you shut it down.’

“What’s your guess then, gramps?” Of course, Ryan comes to Graham’s aid, but not her own. Yaz huffs and glares even harder at him.

“My guess, right.” Graham winks at his grandson. “I’ve always liked the past. Maybe the TARDIS has brought us to Paris in the 1920s. I’ve always had a few things I’ve wanted to ask Hemmingway.”

The Doctor snorts. “Hemmingway was the bore of the lost generation. Trust me, that man’s closet was in a closet. Something about never getting over being forced to dress as a ‘girl’ as a child and then getting turned down from the army. The man’s picture is next to the definition of repressed toxic masculinity. Just ask about him in the Library….” 

For a split second, the Doctor’s face falters. It happens so quickly Yaz isn't sure Graham or Ryan notice, and then a big smile replaces the secondary twitch of her lip and the Doctor’s usual swagger is back.

“Josephine Baker on the other hand.” That mischievous glint returns to the Doctor’s eye. “Now she had some stories to tell!”

Ryan’s scrunches up his face. “Josephine Baker?”

Graham smacks his forehead with the heel of his hand. “I swear, Ryan, if your Nan knew how little they taught you in those schools…”

The Doctor spins again. “Right then, shall we? Into the unknown!” The Doctor heads for the doors of the TARDIS, that adorable quirk on her lips. But as she reaches for the door, the moment is interrupted by an insistent ring from somewhere near the central console. Yaz jumps at the sudden strange sound, but the Doctor just freezes.

The ring comes again and the Doctor blows out a breath before releasing her arm back down to her side. She murmurs something about not having heard that sound in a while. No one else moves as the doctor turns, runs her hands down to straighten her coat, and walks purposefully back toward the center console.

“Alright, sexy,” she whispers under her breath, “you have redecorated on me, so where would…” The Doctor runs a caressing hand along console, fingers twitching toward certain levers before moving her way around, listening intently. Finally, she stops and pushes at rectangular button. A slight snick sounds and a panel opens up revealing an old-fashioned rotary phone, ringing loudly.

“Haven’t redecorated everything, I see.” The Doctor seems hesitant. But almost faster than Yaz can see the motion, the Doctor picks up the receiver and holds it to her ear. “Hello?”

Yaz can barely hear the faint, staticky voice at the other end.

“Hello! I’m sorry, I’m calling for the Doctor, is he there? Please tell him this is an emergency. I know he tried to call earlier, but there have been some changes since he was last here and I had to get a new line. Are you there? Please, if you can hear me, tell the doctor that earth needs him right away. Tell him that Kate Stewart is calling.”


	2. So it's Tuesday, then?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor meets back up with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in her new regeneration. Both of their situations have changed since the last time they saw one another, and earth is in peril once again.
> 
> This one chapter is from the Doctor's POV.

Kate. The Doctor’s brain shudders to a stop. What happened last with Kate? Where in the timeline were they? Obviously, Kate hasn’t met her yet in this regeneration. It’s just so hard to keep up. She hasn’t really kept up with anyone else’s timeline since River…. Nope, can’t go there. Must keep moving. Must talk. Must keep time moving forward, even when that means moving backward.

“Kate! Brilliant! Hiya, Kate. Nice to hear a familiar voice on the line. Interesting convo earlier trying to call.” The Doctor slams the button to bring the monitor back to life and nestles the phone between her shoulder and ear to allow her fingers access to fly over the other controls. “Actually, not all that interesting. That operator didn’t sound at all happy with her job. Though I suppose it must be a disappointment to be answering all those calls all day and not one of them is calling to talk to you.”

“Doctor?” Kate’s voice carries that deeper tone she gets when she’s trying to hide uncertainty, but the edge to it also reveals a bit of the exasperation she always thinks she masks so well, and which the doctor thinks might just be reserved for her.

“Right. Yes. One or two changes here as well. Nothing worth getting into at the moment.” The Doctor slams a final lever down. “Got the coordinates of your mobile. There in a tick.”

The TARDIS groans at her that she’s forgotten to release the breaks yet again. Well, forgotten. Truthfully, she’s just gotten used to the sound and can’t imagine landing without it. The silence would take the magic out of it somehow. Plus, how would she announce to Kate that she’s here? The Doctor caresses the console conciliatorily, tosses the handset to Graham who had moved in close to observe the monitor again, and spins on her heel for the door.

Her brain moves at light speed and each step toward the door feels like an hour. Earth in danger. Again. UNIT gone. Zygons again? No, we took care of that. Clara took care of that. And Osgood. Brilliant Osgood. Osgoods. Not that the Doctor had done so badly himself. She reaches up to straighten a bowtie only to realize a second too late that it isn’t there, and instead runs both hands down the front of her coat. Of course, last time she had been president of earth. Is she still president of earth? She did destroy a whole presidential plane last time. Does that disqualify one from being president of earth? Can the president of earth be impeached for crashing a plane? Or getting a new face? And personality? She must be sure to ask Kate. Wait. If she’s still president of earth, can she re-fund UNIT? And maybe make sure all call center operators get routine calls just asking how their days are going? Would that be an abuse of power? This is why she shouldn’t have that kind of power. Power’s too tempting. She already has too much of it. She always has. Power to inspire people do things that get themselves killed. Like Bill. Nope, can’t go there either. At least Kate’s still alive. Kate. Right. She’s erased her memory a few times. That might complicate this even further. Good thing Kate’s not one to hold grudges. Who’s she kidding. Kate would absolutely hold a grudge about that. But maybe the new face will help. This one’s far less severe. She’s still not quite sure what she’s trying to teach herself with this one, but at least it’s a bit more fun. Fun. What’s she thinking? Now’s not the time for fun. The earth is in danger. Again. Kate said so.

“Kate Lethbridge-Stewart!” The TARDIS doors finally open in front of her revealing a sweeping field with nothing resembling civilization in any direction.

Kate, dressed in her standard dark trench coat over a muted button up and slacks, stands with her arms crossed tightly and an exquisitely manicured eyebrow arched in the Doctor’s direction. She cocks her head slightly as the Doctor emerges and scans her head to foot. “New regeneration, Doctor?”

“What’s that now?” Ryan’s head pops out of the TARDIS behind her.

“Regeneration.” The Doctor shoots over her shoulder. “Time Lord thing. Like when you found me.”

“Yeah, you never did properly explain that. Just sort of zapped yourself with me phone and went on like it were normal."

“Oi, we were in a bit of a rush with Tim Shaw and the neck bombs and all.”

Yaz emerges from behind Ryan. “Still, seems like a story we should hear, considering we’re traveling with you and all.”

The Doctor looks at her in exasperation, and Yaz raises both hands. “Not that we haven’t enjoyed the ride.”

“You mean except for the death-eye turtle army.” Graham adds stepping down behind them.

“One slip up and you never live it down.” The Doctor shakes her head.

“Right,” Kate’s lips have worked their way into the tightest line the Doctor has ever seen. “If you’re quite done, the earth is in dire peril.”

“Ah, so it’s a Tuesday, then.” The Doctor tosses a grin back toward the gang, but when she turns back, Kate’s scowl melts it off her face. “Of course, to business then. What we up against this time? Not the Zygons again? I really thought we had that one sorted.”

“No, the Zygons haven’t stepped out of line once since the peace you brokered.” Kate spins on her heal and starts walking, obviously expecting them to follow. “Amazing, really.”

The Doctor lengthens her stride until she’s walking next to Kate. “Erm, right.” She takes a deep breath. “As I recall, that was you and Osgood. Good old Osgood. Where are they now?”

Kate gives her a side glance and the Doctor finds that she can’t quite meet the woman’s gaze. She can’t remember a lot about how it felt to be her previous incarnation, but she still has all his memories. His tantrums and over-compensation. The first incarnation who had to deal with all the memories and possibilities and uncertainties of his actions in the Time War. Things that Kate knew about more than most. Perhaps he had taken it out on her a bit that last time around. He hadn’t even felt remotely bad about it at the time. So why does it sting a bit now?

“The Osgoods went to ground,” Kate confides. “I won’t lie. We could probably use them about now, but they only reach out when it suits them. I’m not even sure if they’re aware of the current situation.”

“Right, and what’s that exactly?” The Doctor glances back to make sure the others are keeping up. “What is this dire situation that has the earth in peril?”

“It’s easier if I show you.” Kate stops walking and closes her eyes for a second as though gearing up for something.

“Alright then, show us.” The Doctor opens her arms and twirls a bit to take in the still empty fields around them.

Kate sighs. “I’m afraid we haven’t had the opportunity to vet your new companions.”

“Companions?” Yaz cocks and eyebrow. She doesn’t sound amused.

“We’re going with fam these days,” the Doctor hooks her thumbs in her braces and throws what she hopes is a convincing grin in Yaz’s direction, “or gang. Team? Bit of a work in progress.”

“Regardless,” Kate continues, “what you’re about to see is obviously top secret.”

The gang gathers closer around them. Yaz still looks slightly miffed, but the Doctor can tell by the tilt of her chin that she’s intrigued. Ryan looks like someone just offered him tickets to the World Cup, but Graham’s usual exuberance has been replaced by cautious suspicion.

Kate looks them over. The Doctor can tell she’s not quite convinced of what she’s about to say. “If the Doctor vouches for you, then that will have to do for now. We’ll need all the help we can get for this one. And so far, all the Doctor’s compan—teams, have proven stronger than they appear.”

“Not sure whether to take that as a complement or an insult,” Graham gruffs.

“Not sure which one I meant it as,” Kate shoots back.

“Well,” The Doctor throws her arms around them both, “I for one think we’re going to make a great team. Peril doesn’t stand a chance against us!” She grins at Kate, who wears a ‘who are you and why are you touching me?’ face, which briefly reminds her of how much her previous regeneration hated hugs. Plus, there’s possibly a consent thing? She should really brush up on her human etiquette, especially in her new gender expression. She lets them both go hastily and Kate straightens back up and smooths imaginary wrinkles from her coat.

“Alright then.” Kate kneels down and brushes the dirt from a small device embedded in the ground. She presses a button. “Petronella.”

At the sound of the password, the ground begins to open at their feet.

“Doctor, Doctor’s team. Welcome to Earth Resistance headquarters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I got the Doctor's voice right in this one. Also, don't worry there will be some Kate/13 thawing eventually. They just need to deal with some of their past shit first. Let me know what you think so far in the comments.


	3. The Bunker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate's POV.
> 
> The Doctor and her team get to see the new inner workings of UNIT's underground operation and finally find out the danger facing the planet.

Kate takes a deep breath. She’s placing a lot of trust in this strange new Doctor. Then again, she supposes they’ve all been rather strange. Mad. Genius. Infuriating. But they always seem to come through, even if it’s not always in the way she would prefer. It’s why she would rather handle most things on her own. Some things, however, are unfortunately beyond her abilities, and she’s not too proud to ask for help when the planet is on the line. 

These three new companions look completely green, though. She feels a bit like she’s working blind, not knowing anything about them, without the resources to do proper background checks and psychological testing. It leaves her at a disadvantage and she doesn’t like it. But she supposes it really can’t be helped. And there’s no time to lose.

“This way then.” She leads the group down a steep stairway leading into the dark void that has opened up in the ground in front of them. She’s pretty sure it’s meant to be intimidating. She always feels a little less sure of her own footing than she’d like when entering the new headquarters. The Doctor, however, skips along beside her. Her whole face scrunches as she peers into the impenetrable darkness ahead.

“Stairs.” Kate hears one of the companions grumble behind her. “Has to be stairs, doesn’t it?”

“Come on, then Ryan,” the older one encourages. “One foot in front of the other. You’ve got this.”

Kate glances back to see the older man take the younger one by the arm to help steady him. She files it away.

“Don’t suppose there’s any lights in this underground resistance bunker?” The third companion speaks up.

“Not until the door’s secured,” Kate answers. “If everyone’s in…” The stairs plateau after a few feet, and Kate runs a hand across a sensor in the wall. A display blinks on and she keys in the sequence to close the entrance. As soon as it’s sealed, two rows of lights blink on from the floor.

“Follow me,” Kate instructs and follows the path of the lights further into the bunker.

“What is this place?” The one named Ryan seems to have an easier time now that the stairs have given way to a sloping passageway.

“Top secret UNIT safe house,” Kate answers. “Hasn’t been used in years. Or at least, it hadn’t until all of UNIT’s other resources were frozen. I doubt it’s still on the government books, if it ever was. My father liked to be prepared for anything.”

“Ah,” The Doctor’s voice sounds far away even though she’s standing right beside Kate. “Good old Brigadier. Always planning ahead.”

“I’m afraid he couldn’t plan for this,” Kate still isn’t quite sure where to start. “But at least it gives us a temporary base of operations.”

“Are there others from UNiT here with you, then?” The older companion has caught up to them, and Kate finds herself walking between him and the Doctor. The two younger companions lag a few steps behind. At least one of them moves like someone who has received some amount of training. She’s diligently scanning the space around them and keeps her body ready to spring at anything unexpected. Perhaps at least she will be of some use to them in the fight ahead.

“Just a few.” She answers the companion without looking at him. “Only the ones I knew I could trust with the fate of the world. And that trust now extends to you, thanks to the Doctor.” She looks at him meaningfully. “The need-to-know list on this one is small, for reasons you’ll learn soon enough. Plus, it’s not easy or fair to get people to work and put their lives on the line when they’re not getting paid. Luckily this safe house came equipped with more than just a few security measures.”

The Doctor has been unusually quiet. Kate’s not quite sure what to make of it. The last regeneration would already be demanding answers and barking orders and soliloquizing on the ineptitude of human governmental systems. Kate shoots a side glance in the Doctor’s direction. 

There’s definitely less—what? Weight? Gravitas? Entitlement?—on the new face. It still carries a level of intensity mixed with a mercurial manic bent, and the eyes still carry the weight of thousands of years, and even more horrors, but there’s also something else etched within the lines of the younger face. Kate can’t quite put her finger on it. It’s not peace, exactly. She knows that would be impossible with the Doctor. But maybe a hint of acceptance? And openness? 

She’s definitely softer, and Kate can’t help but notice that the Doctor seems to have chosen in the opposite direction for this regeneration than the last. She is all disarming features, and smile lines, and mischievously gleaming eyes. This is a face that expresses all, as opposed to the last, which concealed all. 

And she’s gorgeous. Kate knows the Doctor has chosen objectively attractive appearances in the past. She suspects there’s always a motive. It would be narcissistic to assume that one of the Doctor’s motive was to disarm Kate, especially after their last couple of encounters, but she finds it working nonetheless. She must be cautious of that. 

“You’re staring.” The Doctor grins and breaks Kate out of her contemplation.

“Just taking the time to make some initial analyses.” Kate whips her eyes front again.

“Not quite what you were expecting.”

“Well, no. To be honest it’s quite the turn around from the last face.”

“Better or worse?” The Doctor grins at her and Kate isn’t sure how to respond. It feels a bit like a trap.

“Less—austere, I suppose.”

“Yeah, it was the eyebrows right? Still not sure why I went with the eyebrows. All broody. Guess I needed a broody regeneration—or three. But see. New me. No brooding. Hate brooding. Brooding’s the worst. But I’m over it now. Too much fun and excitement in the Universe to waste time on brooding. Right gang?”

“Hear, hear.” Ryan and the others fall in beside them as Kate brings them to the end of the hall.

“And we’re here.”

“Just looks like a wall,” says Ryan.

“It’s supposed to.” Kate pulls an oversized skeleton key from her pocket. She runs her hands along the rough stone in front of her until she finds the lock that’s hidden in one of the indentions in the wall. The door opens with a loud click that reverberates through the hallway, and, with a little more dramatic flare than absolutely necessary, Kate swings the door open revealing the brightly lit room beyond.

“As you can see, the operation is a bit slimmer these days. Bit harder to save the planet when the people in control of the government’s purse strings decide to pack up their toys and go home.” She leads the group inside. Diana and Tayo look up from their respective computers.

“Managed to get through this time, then?” Tayo asks.

“Ohmygosh!” Diana jumps up from her workstation and rushes over to them. “You must be the doctor.” They shove out a hand toward the older companion. “I’m a huge fan.”

The companion goes red and stammers incoherently for a few seconds before Kate takes back control of the situation. “Actually,” Kate nods in the Doctor’s direction, “it seems we’re not the only ones who have experienced a bit of a transformation. That’s the Doctor.”

“Hello,” the Doctor waves.  
Diana’s mouth forms a startled and embarrassed O, before it melts into a huge lop-sided grin. “No way. You’re the Doctor?”

The Doctor shrugs.

“Way to go, D.” Tayo has joined them, arms folded across his chest and a smile playing over his face.

“That’s completely awesome. I’m so sorry. Of course, I meet the Doctor and put my foot in my mouth and spill all my internalized sexism in one go.” Diana turns back to the companion. “And sorry for making assumptions. You just sort of match the description a bit.’’

“No harm.” The companion waves it away, but still looks flustered.

“Doctor,” Kate takes a step forward to draw back the group’s attention. “This is my team, Diana and Tayo.”

“Pleased to meet you.” The Doctor flashes a room-brightening smile and shakes both of their hands vigorously.

“And, since it seems to be the appropriate time for introductions and the Doctor is neglecting her side.” One of the companions speaks up. “I’m Yaz, and this is Ryan and Graham. We’re traveling with the Doctor.”

“Ah! Sorry.” The Doctor shoves her hands into the pockets of her coat. “You’re right. I’m rubbish at introductions. I usually meet people mid-run as it were, which makes introductions a bit tricky.”

“Or falling through the roof of a train,” Graham breaks in. “But I seem to recall something about the planet being in peril?”

“Yes.” Kate leads them further into the bunker. It’s a bit more cluttered than she’d prefer, but that’s what comes from being forced to work low-tech. There are papers and maps and post-it notes covering every surface and a good portion of the walls as well. Tayo thinks better in analog anyway, or so he always claims. That’s part of why Kate brought him along. The other part being his mathematical genius and the fact that he was the first one to see the connection. 

They stop at a timeline of seismographs plastered to the back wall. All around them are post it notes and newspaper clippings and even some mathematical equations scrawled directly on the wall. The latter had grown in number since Kate had left on her call to the Doctor. She tries her hardest not to sigh. 

The Doctor walks right up to the wall, nose nearly touching the first seismograph. “Earthquakes, eh?”

“Yes,” Kate answers. “They have been increasing in severity over the past 3 months as you can see from the progression. And they’ve been occurring in unusual places. Locations not on fault lines and with little to no history of seismic activity, like the UAE.” She points to one of the graphs. “And Singapore.”

The Doctor peers at the seismograph from Singapore and whistles. “That one was a doozy.”

“It was. 369 people were killed and whole sections of the island were devastated.’

Graham clears his throat. “Not to be insensitive. That’s obviously a tragedy, but an earthquake is a natural disaster. What do you expect the Doctor to do about earthquakes?”

“We don’t think they are,” Kate replies.

“Don’t think they’re what, exactly?” Yaz asks.

“Natural.”

“What else would they be?” This time it's Ryan speaking up.

“We’re not exactly sure. Tayo, why don’t you explain what you discovered?”

Tayo steps closer to the timeline/disaster board. “I was tasked with tracking unusual seismic activity. It wasn’t something UNIT was taking a particular interest in, but it was a minor cause for concerns. It wasn’t until the third or fourth unusual earthquake that I noticed it. Before each earthquake, the people in the area would start acting funny.”

“What kind of funny?” Yaz asks.

“Sort of different kinds. Some people rioted.” He points to some of the news articles clustering around the seismographs. “Many more people that usual either called in sick to work or simply quit their jobs. There was an uptick in suicides, looting, alcohol consumption. It was weird, so I ordered scans of the areas and we noticed something strange. At all of the earthquake sites, we found residual gamma waves.”

“Gamma waves? You’re sure?” The Doctor pauses in her close examination of the charts and gives Tayo her full attention, hands moving to her hips.

“We are sure.” Kate assures them.

“Erm. Not to sound like the old fossil in the room,” Graham scratches the back of his neck. “But what exactly are these gamma waves? And why are they important?

“They’re a type of brain wave produced by most humanoid species,” the Doctor explains. “And a few non-humanoid ones as well. To my knowledge, they don’t occur in nature.”

“So what’s that mean, then?” Graham asks.

Diana, who has been chomping at the bit to get into the explanation finally finds an opening.

“Alien mind control!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Yaz's POV
> 
> Thanks, everyone for all of the comments and kudos. Glad you're enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it!  
> (Also, my keyboard is a little fucked up and I didn't edit this chapter very carefully, so I apologize for typos!)

“Mind control? Brilliant!” The Doctor paces the all-too confined space, and begins muttering to herself.

Of course, Yaz thinks. Of course, the Doctor finds the fact that something might be controlling people’s minds a cause for excitement. The muttering is mostly unintelligible, but Yaz does pick out a few strange words like Ood brain and hive minds and something about a time fissure? Yaz reminds herself to breath, forcing down the anxiety that is building in her chest.

“We don’t actually know that it’s mind control.” Kate looks pointedly at Diana, who shows no sign of apology. “We don’t actually know much of anything.”

“Right.” Tayo clears his throat. “As I was about to mention, back at UNIT, I requested permission to look into it further, but was denied. I conducted scans anyway. I actually scanned Singapore before the earthquake and found a tremendous amount of gamma waves across the island. But before I could pinpoint exactly where they were coming from, the government shut us down.”

“But you have some idea?” The Doctor spins toward him at the sound of hesitation in his voice. Her face practically glows with the mystery of it all.

Tayo glances toward Kate who gives a half nod in permission. “We know that it’s coming from earth…”

He is apparently hesitant to say much more. He takes one hand out of a lab coat pocket and scratches at his closely buzzed head.

‘We think it’s coming from inside the planet!” Diana apparently can’t stay silent any longer. Her body is practically vibrating.

Beside her, Kate sighs, but Yaz spots a slight upward twitch at the corner of her mouth. Either Kate is not as severe and disapproving as she likes to pretend, or she has a soft spot for Diana.

“Alright, D,” Kate crosses her arms. “You are our resident geologist. Tell the Doctor and her team what you’ve found.”

Diana breathes in deeply as though to compose herself and runs long, nimble fingers through her pixie cut. The action makes sections of her hair stand up at odd angles, causing her to look a bit more like a mad scientist and less like the professional that Yaz assumes she’s trying to be at the moment. But it’s also more than a little endearing. Yaz can see why Kate has a soft-spot for her.

“It’s more about what I didn’t find.” Diana pushes through the lot of them to get to her computer, where she clacks away at the keyboard for a few seconds before bringing up a screen full of lines and numbers that Yaz can’t make anything out of. The Doctor, however, pushes up next to Diana and inspects the display like it holds the answers to the universe.

“Ahhh, now that’s interesting,” the Doctor’s nose is practically pressed against the monitor. “So there was no—“

“Nope,” Diana finishes, head hovering just as close as the Doctor’s.

The Doctor runs a finger along one of the squiggly lines, “and you didn’t register any kind of—“

“None, whatsoever.”

“And it didn’t spread past—“

“No!”

“Which is impossible unless—“

“Unless it wasn’t naturally occurring!”

Yaz crosses her own arms and shoots a glance at Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. A bemused smirk and quirked eyebrow reveal that she’s had some experience with similar interactions.

Graham clears his throat. “So you want to let the rest of us in on what’s so interesting about those readings?”

The Doctor spins in place, mere millimeters from head-butting Diana in her enthusiasm. “These earthquakes are impossible. There was no evidence of tectonic stress, there were no seismic waves beyond the limited area where the most intense damage was reported. No tidal waves, no aftershocks. These earthquakes did not behave like earthquakes. They behaved like targeted strikes from within the earth’s crust!”

“And combine that with the presence of gamma waves—“ Kate chimes in. She steps in closer to get a better look at the monitor, arms still crossed.

“You get a sentient creature or creatures inside the earth’s core!” The Doctor reaches out and places a hand on Kate’s elbow in her excitement.

Kate stiffens at the contact and takes a step back. “Let’s try not to jump to conclusions. Not everything that happens on the planet is due to alien interference.”

Yaz watches as the Doctor’s face falls. Kate straightens her blazer and walks back to the wall where Tayo still stands next to the mathematical equations he has inked into the wall.

“Then, what else could it be?” Ryan asks. The rest of the group reform a new circle around Tayo and Kate as Tayo explains more about his calculations and theories. The Doctor, however, remains where she was. She’s unusually still and has a slightly confused look on her face.

“Doctor, are you alright?” Yaz moves closer to her so that only the Doctor can hear her question

“What?” The Doctor seems to snap out of a trance. “Course, yeah.” She shakes her head once and her smile is back. “Just, learning something new.” The Doctor moves in closer to the rest of the group to hear Tayo better and Yaz joins her.

“…and I started to theorize that we could predict where the next earthquake would occur by abnormal human behavior, riots, mass losses of judgement. That kind of thing.”

“Any theories on where it may strike next?” the Doctor asks.

Kate glances at the Doctor, but doesn’t hold her gaze. Her arms remain crossed and she leans against the wall in a display of nonchalance that Yaz doesn’t quite buy. “Between this Brexit fiasco and that lunatic the Americans put in the White House, most of the Western world feels like a bit of a possibility. But how do you know what is just general stupidity or human stubbornness and what might be caused by some external interference? Without the specialized equipment back at UNIT HQ that can detect gamma waves, we’re really just guessing in the dark.”

“Well then, I guess there’s only one thing we can do to find out!” The Doctor had already spun around and headed toward the door.

“And what exactly is that?” Kate stands up straighter, but makes no move to follow as the Doctor keeps walking. “Doctor! What are you thinking?” There's an edge to Kate’s voice that Yaz suspects doesn't come out very often. Of course, she’s the first to admit that the doctor can be extremely irritating, even to the most patient of people.

The Doctor spins back on a booted heel, coat flapping around her and a grin a mile wide on her face. “We’re going to break in to UNIT HQ.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. I know everyone was excited for the break-in and it WILL happen next chapter. I was hoping to have it ready to post by now, but it's taking me a little longer than anticipated. So in the meantime, here's more from Kate's POV.

Kate laughs. “New face, but just as cocky as ever, I see.” She leans back against the wall, shoving her hands back in her pockets. Pulling in a deep breath, she settles in for what she knows is about to be a battle. She also knows from all too much experience that combative postures always backfire with the Doctor.

“Oi!” It’s Yaz who comes to the Doctor’s rescue. Of course. The Doctor always did have a thing for women unafraid of challenging authority. “I may not know the whole history here.”

Sharp too, Kate thinks, amused. She can tell by the suspicious look Yaz shoots her way that she sees more into the tension in the room than the other two companions. She begins to wonder if the Doctor has told this new trio anything about herself at all.

“But from my experience, when the Doctor’s cocky, she’s got good reason to be. I’m sure she has a plan.”

Kate snorts and shoots an incredulous grin at the Doctor. “They really don’t know you all that well, do they?”

“What d’you mean? I can do plans. Totally got a plan.” The Doctor plants both hands on her hips and scrunches her face.

“You have a plan to break into the Tower of London?” Kate can’t wait to hear this.

Rayan’s eyes light up. “Wait. The Tower? We’re breaking into the Tower of London? Oh, that is so James Bond!”

“That’s where UNIT HQ is.” Tayo provides. “And it’s impossible to break into, even for the Doctor.”

“Impossible. Psshhh.” The Doctor walks over to Tayo and looks mischievously into his eyes. Kate suspects she’s stalling. “Impossible is just a challenge that hasn’t been met yet. But we’re going to do it. Right now.”

“But it’s the middle of the day,” Ryan points out, his earlier excitement melting a bit. “Isn’t it more traditional to break into the most secure building in the UK at night when there’s no one around?”

“What? That would be an absolute rubbish plan. How would we blend in? We don’t have to break in to the Tower. We are going to walk right through front gates. As tourists!” The Doctor spins on the spot and begins pacing as her brain races through what Kate is sure is some half-baked idea she’s just had on the spot.

She sighs. “Don’t you think there’s a slight chance we might be recognized?”

“You and your team, maybe. But not me and mine. New face, remember?” The Doctor points at said face with both pointer fingers. 

“It’s not exactly easy to forget that fact. But you’ll need us. How will we ‘blend in’?”

“Ooooo. Do we get disguises?” Diana is practically bouncing in place.

“No.” The Doctor responds and D’s face falls. “Because we want them to recognize you. You are going make it possible for us to get backstage as it were.”

“Can’t the TARDIS just materialize us inside?” Yaz asks.

“Nah, too easy!” the Doctor waves a hand dismissively, but Kate catches the disapproving glance she throws her direction.

Diana fidgets a bit. “The Tower is – TARDIS proof.”

“What? How? Why?” Ryan asks.

“Alien technology plus human stupidity…” the Doctor mutters.

Kate shoots her a look right back. “Precautions.”

“Precautions?” Now it’s Graham’s turn to be protective and indignant.

“We have a – complicated history.” Kate folds a bit. She pinches the bridge of her nose in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension spreading through the front of her brain. She’s not really sure why she’s fighting so hard. It’s not like she has any other options. And she did call the Doctor in the first place. They need her, and as infuriating as the Doctor can be, she’s also unquestionably a genius with advanced alien technology and more knowledge on alien threats than anyone else on the planet. Maybe more than anyone else in the universe.

“Fine, Doctor.” She concedes. “What do you need us to do?”


	6. Intimidation Tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heist begins! Still Kate's POV.

Less than an hour later, Kate stands alone in the dark corridors beneath the Tower. The artificial lights glare down harshly on her and exacerbate the headache that has been twisting knots in her brain ever since the Doctor’s return. It’s time to play her part. 

The part the Doctor gave her fits her well. A little too well. Especially at this moment when all she wants is to yell at someone. She’s not proud of the tendency and works hard to keep it in check, but it is usually there somewhere just underneath the surface. Especially in the face of institutional failure and her own inability to control a situation. Call it imposter syndrome (a therapist or two has over the years), but the sense of powerlessness has always been there, and it’s been her life’s work to stand defiant in the face of insurmountable odds and dare it to call her bluff. That requires a stoic and unrelenting exterior. It’s a mask she wears well.

Taking a deep breath, she straightens and arranges her face into the expression she has used to intimidate generals, government officials, and alien invaders for years. With the facade in place, she rounds the corner. She adopts her I-mean-business stride, shifting her weight a little more to her heels so that the click of her boots bounces around the corridor, announcing her approach.

The guard in front of her stands from the desk as Kate gets closer. Kate’s mask nearly falters when she recognizes the young guard. Bette doesn’t deserve this. Kate will have to make it up to her later somehow.

“Ma’am.” Bette moves to stand between Kate and the door to UNIT HQ. Kate can clearly see the conflicting emotions on the young woman’s face, but she doesn’t move. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“You can let me in to my office, Bette.” Kate moves to stand in Bette’s space. The guard towers over her, but Kate notices the barely concealed flinch in her features when they come face-to—well, collar bone, actually.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” Bette decides to look resolutely over Kate’s head rather than meet her gaze. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Bette,” Kate takes another half step forward and the guard leans back slightly. Kate keeps her voice low and steady, making sure to add a little extra gravel. “What I know is that there’s something going on that’s endangering the planet and it is my responsibility to find out what that is. I also know that the ineptitude and willful ignorance of a few self-important little men is preventing me from doing my job. I’ve devoted my life to the protection of the UK, the United Nations, and this planet. I’ve done and seen and prevented unspeakable destruction the likes of which no one should ever have to know. My team and I have saved the planet countless times, and now it needs saving again. In order for me to do that, I need to get through that door. If you continue to stand in my way, you will be complicit the egregious inaction of our leaders that could result in the pain and death of millions. Do you really want that on your conscience?”

Bette doesn’t budge. “I truly am sorry ma’am. I can’t let you past. It would mean my position.”

Kate’s gut tightens in sympathy, though she refuses to let it show on her face. She knows what the consequences would be for Bette. She’s had enough conversations with the guard to know that as a single mother of two, losing her job would be devastating. Plus, with what Kate is asking her to do, not only would she lose this position, but she would likely be blacklisted from working security anywhere beyond a Tesco. But she also knows this intimidation tactic is necessary, and that she’s going to have to kick it up a notch.

Kate raises her voice. “Your position? Is your position more important to you than human lives?” Bette winces, but Kate doesn’t let up. “Do you really intend to stand there and leave the planet unprotected from an alien threat because of an international budgeting squabble? I took you for someone with more sense. Believe me when I tell you I will get through that door one way or another. When that happens, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of me!”

Bette’s eyes flicker down to meet Kate’s and she lets out a long breath. “Honest, ma’am, I’d help if I could, but not even I have access to get through that door.”

From behind her, Kate senses movement and hears the swishing of the stiff cotton of a lab coat. Finally.

“Kate?” D’s voice holds far too much affected surprise and Kate nearly winces. She turns to face her colleague, giving them an eyebrow that she hopes D can interpret. Not that she expects the geologist to be a polished actor, but if they blow this, they may never get inside. And the fate of the planet does potentially hang in the balance. D clears their throat and shoots Kate a sheepish look. “What are you doing here?”

“I am getting us back into headquarters, Dr. Parker. Or I would be if Bette here weren’t blocking my way.”

Bette’s face falls even further. “I was just informing the Head of Research that my hands are tied. The General thought you might try to get back in and made sure that she is the only one with access. The door will only open with her credentials. And also, ma’am—” Bette hesitates slightly. “I am afraid I’m going to have to report you. With the cameras in this part of the building, they’ll know you were here. They may know already.”

Diana moves over to Bette and places a hand on her wrist. “I am sorry she put you in this position. It’s not your fault we were shut down. I’ll take care of this one.” They nod in Kate’s general direction. “We’ll head directly to the General’s office.”

Bette’s posture relaxes visibly and she nods. “Thanks, D—Dr. Parker. I’ll call and let her know you’re both on your way.” She shifts her gaze back to Kate. “I really am sorry, ma’am.”

Kate inclines her head slightly, but doesn’t allow the façade to slip.

“Don’t worry about it.” D moves over to escort Kate away. “You are just doing your job. Give those kidos a hug for me!” They wave and Bette returns the gesture, relief visible on her face.

Kate follows D back down the corridor and breathes a sigh. Her head throbs again. She hopes the Doctor and Tayo are having as much luck on their end. She’d hate for all of this to have been for nothing. She really owes Bette a massive apology gift.


	7. White Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz's POV and the plan begins to take shape!
> 
> Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I've been a bit under the weather, but I'm hoping to getting back to posting more regularly again. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of heist so far!

“Doctor.” Yaz chews on her bottom lip hesitantly. The team plus Tayo stands in the TARDIS control room, where they’ve discretely parked a block away from Tower Hill, ready to implement their part of the heist.

“Yeah, Yaz?” The Doctor spins her direction, popping a custard cream into her mouth.

“We’ve been traveling together for a while now, and I’d like to think we’ve developed a certain level of trust and understanding between us.”

The Doctor knits her eyebrows, pausing mid chew.

Yaz swallows and schools her face into a neutral expression. “What I’m trying to say is, we’re a team. We’re family. And family has to be honest with one other even when it might hurt. So just know I’m saying this as a friend, because I care about you, and I feel it’s my responsibility to let you know.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Yaz sees Ryan and Graham shift uncomfortably. Tayo just looks on confused, and the Doctor stares at her.

“Doctor,” Yaz runs her eyes up and down the length of the Time Lord. “You look completely ridiculous.”

Graham attempts to play off his bark of laughter as a fit of coughing, but Ryan just snickers in agreement.

“What?” The Doctor looks down at her Hawaiian print shirt with pineapples shooting across it like comets, Bermuda shorts, and sandals. The obnoxious sunglasses nearly slide off her head where she had them precariously perched and the antiquated digital camera swings from where it’s hanging around her neck. “But I’m a tourist! I’m getting in character!”

“In London, not the Bahamas!” Yaz can’t hold in her own chuckle. She has to admit that even in this ridiculous get-up, the Doctor is adorable. 

The Doctor’s nose crinkles in confusion. “You think it’s too much?”

“Maybe a bit,” Graham admits. His own wardrobe is the same as always. 

“But this is one of my favorite shirts!” The Doctor’s face falls into a pout. “I haven’t had a chance to wear it since Donna and I visited the beach planet. Of course, it turned out the sand was sentient and did NOT enjoy being sat on. Found ourselves in a very angry whirlwind.”

“How about we just leave these here?” Yaz walks over and plucks the sunglasses from the Doctor’s head, then removes the bulky camera, setting both to the side. “It’s 2019, tourists use their mobiles now.”

“Better?” The Doctor asks, throwing her arms wide.

“Much,” Yaz smiles.

“So, you’ve explained the shirt,” Ryan jumps in. “Why the wonky shorts?”

“Pockets!” The Doctor beams. “I swear, women’s clothing has an appalling lack of practical pockets.”

None of them can argue with that logic.

“Alright, fam. We ready?”

The team nods, and Yaz’s stomach begins to tighten in a mixture of giddy anticipation and anxiety. Yaz and Ryan stand up a little straighter in the security uniforms the TARDIS’s wardrobe so conveniently had available. Yaz thinks about how good it feels to be wearing a badge again, even if this one’s a bit of a lie. It’s a necessary lie for the protection of the planet.

“Tayo!” The Doctor spins and fixes him with a brilliant smile. “You’re up!”

A few minutes later they are approaching the outer gate. Yaz notices the Doctor pause for a second beside her.

“What’s up?” She whispers.

“Just remembering. I was married here once,” the Doctor responds.

“What?” Yaz’s whisper turns into something that sounds a bit more like a yelp. She clears her throat and tries again. “You were married at the Tower of London? To who?”

The Doctor winks at her and cocks a suggestive eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Here’s where we part ways.” Tayo’s voice interrupts them and Yaz realizes that they’ve arrived at the back of the line of tourists waiting to be searched before entering the Tower.

“Right,” the Doctor nods. “See you inside.”

While the Doctor and Graham join the line of tourists, Tayo leads Yaz and Ryan around to a side entrance. Tayo shows his badge to the guards on duty.

“Heya, Mike.” Tayo greets.

“Tayo! I didn’t think we’d be seeing you again any time soon. They reinstating you guys?”

“Not yet,” Tayo admits. “But the bills keep coming whether the UN decides UNIT is worth funding or not. Since I already had the necessary clearance and familiarity with the complex, I was able to pick up some temporary shifts giving tours to VIPs and visiting scientists.”

Mike looks Yaz and Ryan up and down. “No offence, but these two don’t look like either.”

Tayo laughs. “No VIPs or visiting scientists on my docket today. Yaz and Ryan here were just hired by the HRP. Lots of new blood coming through after that whole WhatsApp debacle, and not enough people to show them the ropes, so I got pulled in. These two start in a couple of weeks, but I’m showing them around today and introducing them to a few of their future teammates.”

Mike looks much more interestedly at Yaz and Ryan. “Welcome to the team!” He turns back to Tayo. “They have their clearance yet?”

“Not yet,” Tayo answers. “Taking them to the Control Room now to do just that.”

The three stride confidently across the courtyard, past the throngs of tourists, and into the White Tower. Tayo winds them through side passageways and winding stairs, showing his clearance at certain points until they get to anteroom that looks especially fortified. Tayo pulls in a deep breath and knocks on a closed door at the far end.

A guard cracks the door open and fills the doorway with his frame. Tayo flashes his credentials once again and clears his throat. “Tayo Akenzua, I’ve got some newly hired security personnel here. Since your team is so short staffed at the moment, the Chief Warden asked me to help out with their orientation to the building and its security features.”

The guard nods. “About bloody time we got some new recruits.” He looks past Tayo’s shoulder toward Yaz and Ryan. “First day on the job, then?”

Tayo clears his throat before Yaz or Ryan can respond. “Nah, they’ve been through training for the past couple weeks in other sectors. Got all their clearances sorted, and now they’re finally graduating to an orientation to the White Tower’s control room.”

The guard’s brow furrows. “New training protocols?”

Yaz stops breathing for a moment as Tayo hesitates. He glances back nervously at them before plastering a grin on his face and responding to the guard. “I guess so. Must be new measures after the um,” Tayo clears his throat and lowers his voice slightly, “recent sexual healing fiasco.”

The guard rolls his eyes so hard his whole head moves with them. “Embarrassment to the whole fucking profession. Made us a laughing stock. Good riddance to the pissers. Course they’d beef up the trainings.” He looks again directly at Yaz and Ryan. “Hope you two have better heads on your shoulders. Know we won’t be letting any shenanigans go unpunished.”

“Of course,” Yaz maintains her serious officer face and nods to Ryan whose eyes are as big as saucers. At her cocked eyebrow, he schools his features and nods vigorously. “Wouldn’t dream of it. We take our duty seriously to protect the Tower, the people who visit, and the reputation of the history and monarchy that it represents.”

The guard nods approval. “Alright then, great to have you on board. Now, what can I do for you?”

Less than two minutes later, Steve, the guard they had been speaking to, as well as his shift partner were off to a long tea while Tayo, Yaz, and Ryan squeezed into what was little more than a large closet with monitors lining every wall with a promise that they had all the relevant trainings from other buildings on the Tower grounds.

Once they were alone and Tayo shut the door behind them, Yaz pulls the sonic screwdriver from a pocket. “Right, the Doctor said she preprogrammed the hack, so all we need to do is point and click and we’re in.”

The high-pitched hum of the sonic fills the small room briefly until all of the monitors flicker and Ryan announces from the keyboard that he has control.

“Right,” Yaz hands the sonic to Tayo. “Best get this back to the Doctor then. We’ll keep an eye out from here and make sure the cameras are blind where they need to be, when they need to be.”

“Here!” Ryan speaks up from where he’s been rummaging through drawers. “Earpieces. They look high tech, too. This way we can all keep in contact.”

Tayo takes three from him and nods. “Wish D and Ms. Stewart had these,” he murmurs. “I’d really like to know how they’re getting on.”

Yaz claps him on the shoulder. “I’m sure they’re fine. Kate Stewart strikes me as the kind of person for whom failure is not an option. And Diana promised her acting and pickpocketing skills were top notch.”

“Their,” Tayo corrects.

“Sorry?”

“D’s nonbinary. They use they/them pronouns.”

“Oh gotcha, right. Thanks mate.” Yaz restates. “Diana promised their acting and pickpocketing skills were top notch.”

Tayo grins and shoves and earpiece into place. “Right then, guess I’d better go find our tourists. You hear me alright through this?” He shoots his gaze toward Ryan who has already inserted his own earpiece.

Ryan nods and gives a thumbs up. “Loud and clear mate. Let’s do this!”


	8. Unto the Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many apologies on how long it took to get this up here. I appreciate those of you still reading. Life craziness and other projects happened and then my computer died, losing a bunch of my work. But I've salvaged what I could and begun rebuilding the second half of the story. I anticipate about another 4 or 5 chapters before it wraps up, and I'm determined not to let another 5 months, or even 1 month, go by without adding another chapter.
> 
> Honestly, this one feels a little rough to me. I've sort of lost some of my character voices and am working to get them back. Hopefully the next chapter will be a little tighter and will definitely be more action-packed.

“Ugh. This is why I prefer time travel,” the Doctor blows a lock of hair out of her eyes. “You can bypass the queues.”

“Thought you wanted to be a tourist, Doc.” Graham grins. “Queues go with the territory.”

The Doctor had run through the plan in her head at least a dozen times since joining the queue, rearranged all of the items in her many pockets twice, reached for her sonic to scan the to see if the queue was actually moving at all upward of five times and coming up empty before remembering that the sonic was with Yaz and Ryan for their part of the heist. She had noted the windspeed and direction in case it became relevant later. She even got desperate enough to begin counting the clouds as they scuttled by overhead.

Finally, the Doctor and Graham successfully make it into the Tower grounds, and allow themselves to be drawn along with the general flow of foot traffic. The familiar sights bring memories of previous lives flowing forward. How many times had she been held prisoner in this place? Does the time there were three of her count as one or as three? Since she can’t remember it as two of her selves, she supposes she should only count it once, so does that make 7 or 8? She has definitely been on the wrong side of enough monarchs over the years—Charles II, Henry VIII, Victoria, Emperor Churchill, Elizabeth I, though she was pretending to be a Zygon at the time, so maybe that didn’t really count either. Plus, she’d married her right after. 

A flash of movement catches the Doctor’s eye from her periphery. She glances to the side as one of the Tower ravens hops over and caws at her. There’s something she’s supposed to remember about these ravens. What is it? She can’t quite put her finger on it. There’s something blocking it. She can feel it. She scrunches her face, willing the memory to surface. No luck. She knows there’s something. Ravens. Cawing at her. Not quite right. Not quite alive. She tilts her head to one side and tries to bang the mental block loose with the heel of her hand.

“Uh, Doc?” Graham has also stopped moving forward and watches her with his hands shoved in the pockets of his coat and a confused look on his face.

The Doctor shoots him a look and shushes him. “Not now, Graham. Thinking. Something’s wrong in here.” She pounds her head a couple more times. “Why’s there a block there? Why would I do that?” She stops. “Unless I didn’t do it…”

The Doctor stands straight again and begins pacing. “No. No. That wouldn’t be possible. No one would be able to incapacitate me long enough to do that unless I allowed it. So both possibilities are the same. Either I put it there or I allowed someone to put it there.”

“Put what there?” Graham asks.

“I said shush. Still thinking.”

The raven caws again before spreading its wings and taking off. It launches so close to them that its wing grazes Graham’s shoulder. The Doctor’s body physically reacts, though her brain still can’t quite register why. A shade of memory brushes dark tendrils along the surface of her mind. A shade. No. A quantum shade. Shaped like a raven.

The Doctor sucks in air, feeling as though the shade were punching through her own chest and she immediately shuts the memory back out. That’s why she blocked it. Why she needs to keep it blocked. For now at least. It would be just as painful as punching through a wall of diamond, and she just doesn’t have that kind of time right now.

The raven caws again as it wheels overhead. This isn’t a shade. She can tell. When she blocked out the memory of the shade, she blocked this raven out too. This is something tamer. Something potentially useful. Something Kate said once?

“There you two are!” Tayo rushes over to them, visibly relieved.

The Doctor whirls to face him and fixes him with a grin, though the motion doesn’t have the same flair without her coat. She misses its comforting flap around her calves, but then she remembers that the coat would have obscured her awesome tourist shirt. Couldn’t have that. She’s in disguise after all. A totally brilliant disguise to go along with a totally brilliant plan.

“Tayo! We made it, see?” She points at herself with one pointer finger and Graham with the other. “Had my doubts for a moment. Interminable queue. Don’t know why you lot do it. But we’re in. How are the others doing?”

“Yaz and Ryan are squared.” Tayo keeps his voice low and glances around at the crowd of tourists milling about. He tips his head toward a clump of trees at the back of the green, and the Doctor and Graham follow as he finds a slightly more secluded space for them to talk.

Tayo glances around again and apparently decides they’re safe enough from prying eyes. “Here,” he says and handing a small device to her and one to Graham. “Ryan found some earpieces in the control room so we can all communicate. He and Yaz have control of the security cameras throughout the Tower, so they can keep an eye on us and hopefully keep us out of trouble.”

“Brilliant! Go team!” The Doctor slips hers in her ear and Graham follows suit.

“Ryan, Yaz?” The Doctor holds a finger to the earpiece and ducks her head forward, straining to hear a response from two of her favorite people. 

“Not suspicious at all, you,” Graham teases and the Doctor straightens back up and drops her hand to her side.

Right, covert. Covert’s not usually her style. She usually relies on bluster and bravado to get things done, but this situation calls for a bit of delicacy. Plus, Kate approved of this plan—well, Kate begrudgingly conceded to this plan—and her safety depends on the Doctor not blowing their cover. Interesting how much she doesn’t want to let Kate down. It didn’t used to bother her, but then, things are different this time. She can’t quite put her finger on how or why, but it’s certainly different.

“Doctor!” Yaz’s voice sounds relieved through the earpiece. Good old Yaz, Ever the protector. She would make an excellent Time Lord. “Tayo found you, and you made it inside?”

“Only a couple of askance glances.” Graham looks meaningfully at the Doctor’s attire.

“Oi!” the Doctor responds. “This disguise is foolproof. We got in with no suspicion. Just two more tourists headed to see the crown jewels.”

“Oh! Can we see the Koh-i-Noor while we’re here?” Graham’s face lights up. “I’d love to get a glimpse of the largest diamond in the world.”

“Never took you for having an interest in jewelry,” Ryan jibes.

Not just jewelry, the memory makes the Doctor’s pulse quicken with remembered excitement. A werewolf killer. She had always wondered why the royal family decided to keep it so close after the incident at the Torchwood Estate. Perhaps it was to prevent anyone from using it against them. Though she had never been very close to the post-17th century monarchs.

“Boys, focus.” Yaz’s tone pulls the Doctor back to the present. It’s a bit sharper than usual. This mission must have Yaz more on edge than she’d let on. “You’re not actually here as a tourist. We have a job to do and a planet that might be under attack from a creature inside the planet’s core! Right Doctor?”

“Right.” Of course Yaz is right. They have things to do and people relying on them. Time to stop getting lost in memories of previous lives and focus on the present. “Ryan, good job on the earpieces. Now we’re really James Bond.”

“Deffo. Totally James Bond.”

“Tayo,” the Doctor turns and swings an arm over his shoulder. “Lead on. Kate and D are waiting on us. Let’s break into UNIT.”

“‘Once more unto the breach.’” Tayo pulls in a deep breath. “Which means, you should probably not go in unarmed.” He shoves a hand back into his pocket and brings out the sonic. 

Her beautiful sonic. She could kiss it. It’s always like she’s lost an appendage when she’s without it. The sonic is so much more than a tool. She settles on checking all of the settings and doing a quick scan to test that everything is in working order. It hums at her, everything in perfect alignment.

Tayo and Graham are already heading up to the entrance to the White Tower. The Doctor places the sonic into the breast pocket of her Hawaiian shirt, patting it for good measure, and takes off after them.

Inside, the tower is packed with people—tourists, guards, people in suits with no-nonsense expressions. Maybe she should have worn a suit. Suits are brilliant. She always looked good in suits. She could have worn a dapper 3-piece with a bowtie. Bowties are still cool, right? She wonders what Kate would think of her in a bowtie. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, she corrects. Head of Scientific Research for UNIT, and currently in an indeterminate level of risk helping them break into her former headquarters in an attempt to prevent further devastation from an unknown, possibly alien threat. Right now she needs to focus on making it to the rendezvous point.

The Doctor and Graham, led by Tayo, wind through expansive rooms, hallways, and hidden stairways until the hubbub of tourists diminishes behind them. Through the earpieces Ryan and Yaz tell them which passages to use to avoid security guards as much as possible. That gets more difficult the further underground they go. A couple of times they have to double back, and once they duck into a supply closet to avoid detection.

Finally, they’re at the rendezvous point—the last corner before the long and multi-blockaded hallway that leads to UNIT HQ. The Doctor, Tayo, and Graham find themselves alone under the flickering fluorescent lights. Where is Kate? They should have met up with her and D by now. What if something happened? What if Kate has been caught? What if the Doctor has gotten her into trouble? Again?

“Yaz,” she whispers, peaking a head around the corner and getting a lay of the land. The hallway is long and the thick, metal door to UNIT HQ stands ominously at the very end of it. A desk with a lone guard stands just in front of the door. She could handle a lone guard. Of course, she’d rather not hurt someone just doing their job, but maybe she could switch back to bravado mode and bluff their way in. But that would mean leaving Kate behind.

“Yeah, Doctor?” Yaz whispers in response.

“Can you and Ryan scan the area around us and see if you can find Kate and D? They should be here by now.”

“We’ve been keeping an eye out,” Ryan says. “No sign of them yet. You don’t suppose something’s happened, do you?”

The Doctor glances at Tayo, who is craning his neck around, trying to see in all directions at once. A sheen of sweat has broken out across his forehead and he’s unconsciously crushing a corner of his lab coat into a ball in one hand.

“Hey, this is the Kate Lethbridge-Stewart we’re talking about here.” The Doctor plasters a cocky smile on her face and forces her voice to brighten in what she hopes is an inspiring tone. “I’ve seen enough to know the whole of the British government wouldn’t stand a chance against her when she’s on a mission. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s got UNIT funding reinstated and decide to straighten out this whole Brexit thing while she’s at it.” The Doctor winks at Tayo who seems to breath a little more easily. “She’ll be here. We just need to wait another tick.”


End file.
